Competition news

REACTIONS TO THE SETBACK AT THE RIAZOR

22 Mar 2010Frustration after the fourth liga defeat of the season at the Riazor; the players were feeling guilty while Lotina was asking to not blame Zé Castro.

Coach Miguel Ángel Lotina was admitting that his team deserved to lose the game, “In the first half we were fine, we had more fluidity than in other occasions, but we just were missing a connection, we left too many open spaces and it was easy for Valladolid to attack us. In the second part we tried but we couldn't do anything, we never created a scoring opportunity, not even with three strikers. The defeat has been fair."

Later, the Basque manager defended the performance of Zé Castro, who was whistled by the fans and left the game upset, “The problem wasn’t Zé Castro. It’s just that he had a lot of free space at both sides. Here, we all lose and win; we can not focus on Zé Castro. He was too alone, too many empty spaces, and since that point we started to have defensive problems. In the second half we hurried up the things and some passes were misled. Without Sergio, Juca, Guardado or Iván Pérez, Zé Castro is the best striking the ball, that’s why he was taking the free-kicks. But it wasn’t his day. It can happen, but do not focus on him.”

Finally, Lotina explained that Lassad was replaced because the striker wasn’t feeling okay, “We wanted to see him playing for fifteen more minutes, but he asked me for the change at the dressing room. Later we made other two substitutions in order to see the strikers having some time, but things didn’t work out and we assume our responsibility.”

Captain Manuel Pablo was saying that the guilty ones were the players, “Maybe we let ourselves carried away by the euphoria, and went out too much worried in attacking and they [referring to Valladolid’s players] were able to exploit some areas to surprise us through counterattacks. “

“We were too tick, lost the ball too many times and the rival was feeling really comfortable Right now it’s the same for us to be sixth or seventh, because the important thing is that we still in the fight and in Gijón we have to comeback. We are willing to do it and must be smarter.” The Canarian added.

Juan Domínguez was also feeling sorry for the defeat, “We lost an important game in order to continue at the top. Until the goal we were having the ball, but since that moment things changed and we missed some punch. We know that if we don’t defeat Sporting then the European places will be gone, that’s why we are going there for the three points.”

Striker Adrián was analysing the game, “We were better in the first part, there were times in which we were reaching the rival’s area and then it didn’t happen anymore. In the second part we missed some football, while Valladolid was fine, they made a nice match and deserved to win.”

The Asturian was also warning about the rivals coming from behind in the table, “There are strong teams like Villarreal or Atletico Madrid, and as we got asleep, they could catch us. Some day things work for you and in the other it doesn’t. These are things of football, now we have a match on Tuesday to try to do it better, to try to win in Gijón.”

Fabril’s Diego Seoane debuted at Primera División and gave his opinion about the clash, “It was a bad day to debut, it is good to have a game on Tuesday in order to forget this one. We were fine in the first half, but they were superior in the second.”

President Augusto César Lendoiro also gave his opinion about the match, “The first forty-five minutes were of ups and downs, but they dominated the things in the second. It was a fair result.” The president was also asked about the new project of the Riazor presented by the city of La Coruña, and he just answered that, “It would be great for Deportivo and for Galicia.”

At Valladolid, coach Onésimo Sánchez was feeling proud of his team, “It was a complicate match due to the rival and the stadium in which we were playing, but we were superior and even had the best scoring opportunities. We still in relegation, but this is the path to follow. We deserved a reward due to the work and sacrifice of the last weeks and it has arrived.”
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